Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Health Care Assistant - Theatre

The closing date is 24 October 2025

Job summary

  • Do you want to make a difference to people's lives?

    We are looking for individuals with experience to work in healthcare, to join the NHS family helping people from your local community. Healthcare Support Worker opportunities are available in Acute Opthalmology.

    No experience? No problem. We will teach you everything you need to know. To us, it is more important that you are a caring and kind person with a genuine desire to help and support patients and their families. If this sounds like you, then you already have the skills that make a great Health Care Support Worker.

    Right from the time you join us, you will have access to learning, development and training opportunities. As you progress in your NHS career you will acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to provide safe and compassionate patient care.

    Mid and South Essex is a great place to work, offering a working environment with an inclusive culture that looks after and values our people and creates a sense of belonging. We encourage applications from people who embrace our values and who will enable us to expand our diverse workforce.

    The Healthcare Support Worker role can also lead to a range of career opportunities. With the right support, those who want to can undertake the necessary training to become our future nurses, nursing associates and midwives. You is expected to work within Ophthalmology MSE across the three sites

Main duties of the job

  • As a Health Care Support Worker, you will be a hugely valuable support to our Nursing and Midwifery teams providing care to our patients. Every day will be different and you will work alongside the rest of the team carrying out a wide range of tasks and assisting with care to support the needs of the patients and their families.

    Examples of what you may do as part of your role:

    Washing and dressing patients

    Serving meals and feeding patients

    Helping patients to move around

    Making beds

    Talking to patients and their families

    Monitoring patient condition

    Skills and personal attributes needed:

    Caring and kind

    Cheerful and friendly

    Keen to support patients with their personal needs including washing and toileting

    Able to follow direct instructions

    Happy to work in a team but also able to use own initiative

    Have good listening and communication skills

    Be well organised

    Full time and part time positions are available, and we are open to discuss flexible working arrangements. This opportunity is available for candidates who have the right to work in the UK. Applications from underrepresented groups including LGBT+, Ethnic Minority or disabled people are particularly welcome.

About us

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Details

Date posted

20 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

Depending on experience Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

390-SUR-SO-5191-A

Job locations

Southend

Prittelwell Chase , Westcliff on Sea

Essex

SS0 0RY


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • What we Offer:- Range of opportunities for flexible working- Strong team ethos- NHS salary structure and pension- 27 days holiday plus days off for bank holidays worked- Enhanced pay when you work unsocial hours- Maternity, paternity and adoption leave- Childcare vouchers- Wide range of LGBTI+ initiatives- Health service discounts and online benefits- Health and wellbeing support- Discounts on public transport- Disability Confident Reasonable adjustments

For further details please refer to the job description.

** We look forward to hearing from you and wish you good luck **

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • What we Offer:- Range of opportunities for flexible working- Strong team ethos- NHS salary structure and pension- 27 days holiday plus days off for bank holidays worked- Enhanced pay when you work unsocial hours- Maternity, paternity and adoption leave- Childcare vouchers- Wide range of LGBTI+ initiatives- Health service discounts and online benefits- Health and wellbeing support- Discounts on public transport- Disability Confident Reasonable adjustments

For further details please refer to the job description.

** We look forward to hearing from you and wish you good luck **

Person Specification

worked in hospital setting

Essential

  • previous experience as a HCA
  • care certificate and evidence of CPD

Desirable

  • previous experience in theatre

ophthalmology experience

Essential

  • technical skills

Desirable

  • previous ophthalmology experience
Person Specification

worked in hospital setting

Essential

  • previous experience as a HCA
  • care certificate and evidence of CPD

Desirable

  • previous experience in theatre

ophthalmology experience

Essential

  • technical skills

Desirable

  • previous ophthalmology experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Southend

Prittelwell Chase , Westcliff on Sea

Essex

SS0 0RY


Employer's website

https://www.mse.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Southend

Prittelwell Chase , Westcliff on Sea

Essex

SS0 0RY


Employer's website

https://www.mse.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Ophthalmic Theater Nurse Manager

Georgina Overell

g.overell@nhs.net

01702345555

Details

Date posted

20 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

Depending on experience Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

390-SUR-SO-5191-A

Job locations

Southend

Prittelwell Chase , Westcliff on Sea

Essex

SS0 0RY


Supporting documents

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